Safety device for gas ranges



. Nov. 19, 1935. I 1 N. FLEMING 2,021,483

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GAS RANGES Filed Feb. 8, 1934 "FE INYENTOR F14 3fludwf/neLAlf/em/hq ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENToFi-" cr:

. 2,021,483 ssm'rr DEVICE non ass mess Augustine 1.. N. Fleming,Rutherford, N. .1.

Application February a, 1934, Serial No. 710,250 2 Claims. (01. 126-42)I'he purpose of this invention is to provide means for automaticallyclosing all of the valves to the burners of a gas range by a commonlatch or, as in a covered range, as the cover is closed.

The invention is an attachment that may be built into a gas range orattached to gas ranges now in use which permits the valves to be openedor closed independently, and at the same time automatically closes allthe valves from a common point. Gas ranges are now being built with"covers which cover and enclose the burners and it is possible to closethe cover without turning oil the burners. It is also possible toaccidentally open one or more of the valves and with the cover closed itis impossible to detect the gas so that it is wry dangerous. With someof the types 01 open gas ranges where the valves are provided with rounddiscs and handles it is also practically impossible to determine whetheror not the gas is turned on without actually trying each handle.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to make it impossible toclose the cover of a covered gas range without turning off all of thevalves.

Another object is to provide means for automatically turning oil all thevalves when the cover is closed.

Another object is to provide,means for turning off all of the burners ofa gas range from a common point. v a

Another object is to provide means for turning oil the burners ofa gasrange and locking the-valves thereof in the closed position. Y

And a still further object is to provide means for automatically turningoff all-the burners of a gas range which is of a simple and economicalconstruction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a device for turning offthe burners of a gas range which may be mounted upon or attached to agas range of any type so that it will turn. off the valves as the coverof the range is closed, or

from a common point. i I Other features and advantages of theinventionwill appear from the following description taken in connection with thedrawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the general arrangement of the apparatuson a gas range.

Figure 2 is a view showing a front elevation of the upper part of therange showing the device mounted thereon.

Figure 3 is a view showing a side elevation of the upper part of therange showing the method of connecting the device to the cover of therange.

Figure. 4 is a view looking toward the inside '55 of one of the burnervalve operating knobs.

Figure 5 is a view looking toward the side oi. one of the knobs showingthe Jaw clutch members extending" therefrom.

Figure 6 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 2 showing analternate arrangement in,which 6 a closure latch is provided which maybe used for ranges without covers. w

In the drawing the invention is shown as it may be made wherein numeralI indicates an operating bar, numeral 2 the valves of a gas 10 range,and numeral 3 a cover for the range.-

It will be understood that the valves 2 and the range may be of any typeor design and the range may be provided with a cover, as shown in Figure3, or of any type or design. I 15 In the'design shown the bar I ispositioned below the valves 2 and a jaw clutch is positioned on thevalve stems with one. section of thejaw teeth formed at thehandles orknobs 4 on the valve stems and the teeth of the other section 20 formedin a hub 5 and the'hub 5 is provided with an arm 6 which extendsdownward and which is pivotally connected to thebar I by pin 1. Althothis construction is described for one of the valves, it will beunderstood that the same members are used with each of the valves and asmany valves as there are burners may be provided and all may besimilarly connected to the bar I. The bar I is connected by rod 8 to abell-crank 9 which is pivotally mountedon. a pin l0 and the 30 oppositeend of the bell-crank'is connected by a rod- II to an arm [2 extendingdownward from the rear corner of thecover Q as shown in Figure 3. Itwill be understood, however, that the arm l2 may also be provided on aseparate hub l3, as shown in Figure 1, and mounted upon a shaft i4 Iupon which the cover 3 is pivotally mounted and the arm may also belocated or p osi tioned at any point. It will also be understood 40 thatany other'means may be used for connecting the cover 3 to the bar i andthe connecting parts may be located at any point or points.

This rod may also be operated by a handle l5, as shown in Figure 6. inwhich it is connected to the handle by a rod l6 and when a pointer IT onthe handle registers with the word'closed all of the valves are in theclosed position so that, a with a gas range of an open type,.it is onlynecessanv to turn the handle IS in order to be assured that allof thevalves are closed. It will be un- 50 derstood. however, that any othermeans may be used for closin all of the valves independently or incombination. and any other means may be used for indicating when thevalves are closed.

It will be noted in Figure 4 that the handles h the teeth 2| and 22 willtravel thru an arc of ninety degrees so that they will be in theposition indicated by the curved lines 23. The handles l8 are then-freeso that they may be turned from the position shown to the positionindicated by the diagonal lines 24 so that the valves may be opened,however, should the cover be closed, the teeth 2| and 22 will return tothe positions as indicated, andthereby return-the teeth is and 20 totheir respective positions, as indicated, thereby closing the valve. Itwill, therefore, be observed that this device permits the valves of eachburner to operate independently and at the same time closes any one orall of the valves, and

holds all of them in the closed position, as long as the cover isclosed, or when the handle I is turned to the closed position. It willalso be understood that the jaw clutches may be replaced by any othermeans fox-producing this action and the teeth of the clutchmay be. ofany'other type or design.

It will be understood that other changes may be made in the constructionwithout departing from the spirit oi -the invention. One of whichchanges may be in' the use of other means for a connecting the bar .I tothe valves, another may be in the use of other means foroperating thevalves instead of the jaw clutches, as shown, another may be in the useof other means for connecting the valve closing means to the cover ormember l5, and still another may-be'in the use of the closing apparatuslocated at any other point or points.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription. In use this device may be provided as shown and describedand it will be noted that the ordinary valve operating handles or leversmay readily be removed and replaced by similar handles having Jaw teethin the hubs thereof, or the teeth may be formed or attached to the.present handles in any other manner. stems beforethe handles arereturned, and these may readily be connected to the cover thru the bar Iand operating levers, as shown andde- The hubs J are placed on the valvescribed. It will, therefore, be observed that this device willautomatically close or turn off all the burners of a gas range from acommon point or as a cover of the range is closed and this device willalso hold and look all of the burners in the 5 closed position. It willbe noted that the connecting means may be of any other type or designand may be positioned, arranged, or located in any position. It may alsobe used with one or' any number of burners and the burners may be 10located at any point or points.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a gas range of the type having a pluralityofburners with individual valves for the respective burners, and valvehandles on the ends of the valve stems extending from the valves; ofclutch members on said'valve handles with projections extendingtherefrom, corresponding clutch members rotatably mounted on said valvestems provided with projections positioned to engage with theprojections of the "clutch'members on the handles, arms extending fromthe clutch members on the valve stems, a bar, pivotally attached to saidarms, and means for moving said bar, the set of projections on theclutch members of the stems positioned to engage the set of projectionson the clutch members of the handles to move the valves through thehandles to closed. position in one position of the bar, and in anotherposition of the bar to al- -low the valve handles to be operatedindepend- I ed to be rotated with the movement of the cover, and a rodconnecting said 'lever to the bell crank,

said lever adapted to move the bell crank to move theibarjand move theprojections of the clutch ,members on the valve stems to engage theprojections of the clutch members on the handles to close the valvesasthe cover of the range is lowcred. r

' AUGUSTINE L. N. FLEMING.

